Throwback Thursday: Retro Road Tripping on My Old 6R

In 2005, Kenny and I set off for Yellowstone National Park on our motorcycles. Neither one of us really had any idea what we were doing. We just threw our stuff on the bikes and set off with little more than blind optimism guiding the way. Everyone starts somewhere.

At that time, I had 2 bikes – a Ducati 996 and a ’98 ZX-6R. The latter won in the comfort department so that was my steed for the trip.

The little red Ninja in Minnesota. Hiiiiii-Yah!

It is amazing how your approach to traveling changes in a relatively short amount of time. In retrospect, I didn’t really know how to savor what I was doing. Everything was so exciting and so new that I didn’t take the time appreciate things in the same way that I do now. I just wanted more, more, more! One day I will probably look back at this time and say the same thing.

Every trip is a learning experience. Gotta keep at it, keep exploring, keeping expanding that horizon.

Yup. I’d been riding for some years, but a multi-day trip or attending a rally never had much attraction. Then in 1996 my Dad talked me into riding with him to a Rider magazine rally in WV. Of course, I had a ball. I remember thinking to myself: “I’m gonna do this at least once a year from now on.” Which I’ve been able to do. Not epic rides like some of yours, but at least getting away for a couple of days or ten.